Academy Awards Field Team Oscar for 2015

The Academy Awards are once again fielding Team Oscar for 2015. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), is inviting entries for a competition they have been running for the past three years. Candidates are young, aspiring moviemakers who want to get a head start in their careers. A group of six will be the winners.

Entrants have to be U.S. citizens between 18 and 30 years old. They will have to create a video on the subject of the best advice they have received, upload it on YouTube and post it on the Academy’s Facebook page.

The Academy Awards’ Oscar ceremony telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced on Wednesday, Dec. 17 they are reprising the Team Oscar program. They are excited that their original idea has become an annual tradition, they said. This year it has opened up to a wider audience of amateur filmmakers who wish to express their passion about movie making and the cinematography stories they wish to tell. They are encouraged to be as imaginative and energetic in their presentations as possible.

A team of judges, including actor and spokesperson Tatum Channing, Neil Meron, Craig Zadan and AMPAS officials will select the six winners. The prize is the opportunity to appear on stage at the Academy Awards ceremony. United Airlines, the official airline of the Academy, will fly them to Los Angeles.

The successful artists will participate in the Oscar week activities leading up to the 87th Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 22, 2015 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center. They will have the opportunity to be recognized, appear on stage, and be the trophy bearers for the celebrity presenters in each category.

Channing Tatum posted a video on his Facebook page inviting eligible viewers to produce a 60-second video on YouTube and then submit it through the AMPAS Facebook page to audition. Submissions are due Jan. 12, 2015 by 9 pm PST. Tatum will announce the Team Oscar winners in early 2015.

Tatum acknowledged that he was honored by the opportunity to be a part of the program that may see the rise of the next generation of filmmakers. He said he is inspired by seeing artists rise to challenges and is eager to see what talent the competition will bring to the surface.

The Academy Awards have made a significant change in their fielding of Team Oscar for 2015. The competition rules for next year state that any U.S. citizen in the 18 to 30 age group across the nation can enter. Previously only students were eligible for this competition.

The ceremonies this year promise to be lively, entertaining and amusing as always. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced that there will be an elite writing team for the 87th Oscars, led by Tony winner Neil Patrick Harris and head writer David Boone. Harris, who has emceed numerous award shows, will also be hosting the event. The show will air live on ABC on Feb 22, 2015.

Other members of the writing team are Emmy-winning producer and writer Paul Greenberg, and actor and writer Derek DelGaudio. Multiple Emmy-winning producers and writers Liz Feldman and Tim Carvell add their strength to the line-up. Comedy producer, writer, and actress Paula Pell, and Emmy nominee Mason Steinberg are also on the star-studded team.

The Academy Awards fielding of Team Oscar in 2015 adds a special dimension to the gala occasion. The third edition of this competition is likely to become an annual event that is an unparalleled opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to get early recognition and opportunities to advance in their chosen field.